Snap Denim Western Shirts – Five Plus One

Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.


Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.


I love snap button shirts. Is there anything more satisfying than ripping off your shirt in one fell swoop? The design was perfected by Denver-based Rockmount Ranch Wear. The snap button was their solution for a button that gave way without breaking off if the shirt ever got caught or snagged. This made the shirt especially popular with cowboys and ranch workers, plagued by broken and missing sew-on buttons.

Below, we’ve rounded up five plus one of our favorite options on the market, so get reading, and make it snappy!

1. Rockmount: Slim Fit No Wash Denim Shirt

Rockmount: Slim Fit No Wash Western Denim Shirt

We’re starting with the granddaddy of them all, Rockmount. Of all the shirts on this list, this is probably the only one you’ll find on the back of anyone working on a ranch (except maybe when Ralph feels like baling hay for authenticity’s sake). The slim fit of the Rockmount was originally a functional feature, meaning the wearer was less likely to catch themselves on stray branches or barb wire. You can pick up the original, which is still made in USA, for a song compared to the others on this list.

Available for $86 at Rockmount.

2. Freenote Cloth: Nep Denim Modern Western

Freenote Cloth: Nep Denim Modern Western Shirt

The Cowboys of San Juan Capistrano take the edges off a western with their spin on the classic. Everything is a rounded, nubbed, and comfy on this guy – from the front yoke to the pockets to even the little nubs on the neppy denim. Plus it has a few of those little details we’ve come to expect from Freenote, like selvedge detail gussets and chainstitch runoff.

Available for $220 at Freenote Cloth.

3. Rogue Territory: Nep Denim Western Shirt

Rogue Territory Nep Denim Western Shirt

Is it Christmas, Rogue Territory, or are you just happy to see us? The white neps are strong with this one, making it an excellent choice for those who love fabric with character or are just trying to camouflage their dandruff problem. The denim is also the beefiest on this list, with a 9oz. 2×1 from Nihon Menpu. The RGT fam even managed to sneak in their signature pen pocket.

Available for $255 at Rogue Territory.

4. Pure Blue Japan: 5oz. Knub Denim Western Shirt

Pure Blue Japan 5oz. Knub Denim Western Shirt

If you’d prefer to feel the irregularities in your denim rather than see them, this one’s for you. Pure Blue Japan, masters of the slub, have turned their efforts above the waist to produce a shirt with just as much character as their jeans. This shirt also has a lighter caste to go with it’s lighter weight, making it an ideal multi-season contender.

Available for $245 at Rivet and Hide.

5. RRL: Slim Fit Denim Western Shirt

RRL-Slim-Fit-Denim-Western-Shirt-Front-Back

Things haven’t looked great for the almighty Ralph as of late. With profits plunging and the main man no longer at the helm, many have surmised that his passion project brand RRL will get the axe. That would be a shame, as it’s been the standard bearer for the company for quite a while. As such, you’d better get your hands on their standard staples, like this Platonic ideal of a Western shirt, quick.

Available for $265 at Ralph Lauren.

Plus One – Kapital: Sashiko Thunder Western Shirt

Plus-One-Kapital-Sashiko-Thunder-Western-Shirt-Front

While all the other shirts on this list adhere strictly to the ideals of a standard Western shirt, Kapital takes a different path. They laugh at the standard, corrupt it, break it down to its component parts and build it back up so what we have left is an ironic joke of heritage. I love it.

This shirt is from a couple seasons ago but I still can’t forget it. The pockets angle inwards with a play on the standard sawtooth, the fabric itself is an overdyed indigo canvas, and the yoke (which buttresses the stress points on the shirt) has been replaced by intricate sashiko stitching, a technique most often used to reinforce and repair old leather and textiles. They took everything that you’d expect and replaced it with a much more interesting equivalent. It’s like those fancy burgers that use foie gras instead of mayonnaise, except this actually works.

One left for $389 at Unionmade.